Container unscrambler

ABSTRACT

A container-unscrambling machine is disclosed for arranging a carton full of empty plastic bottles into a single file so that they are ready to be conveyed to a bottle filling machine. The unscrambler is of a type known in the trade as an inliner unscrambler because of its ability to line up the bottles in a single file.

United States Patent {72] Inventor Herman Laub, 111

244 North San Marino Ave., San Gabriel, Calif. 91775 [21] Appl. No.719,442 [22] Filed Apr. 8, 1968 [45] Patented Jan. 26, 1971 [54]CONTAlNER UNSCRAMBLER 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 198/32 (51] Int. Cl 865g 47/26 [50] Field of Search 198/32[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3.351651 11/1967 Witmer198/32 3.298.499 1/1967 Ellis et al. 1. 198/32 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,388,03812/1964 France 198/32 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter A ssistantExaminer Roger S. Gaither Att0rneyMarvin J abin ABSTRACT: Acontainer-unscrambling machine is disclosed for arranging a carton fullof empty plastic bottles into a single file so that they are ready to beconveyed to a bottle filling machine. The unscrambler is of a type knownin the trade as an inliner unscrambler because of its ability to line upthe bottles in a single file. I

PATENTEUJAHZBIBYI 3557,9132

@y'w/ win 4 [NVENTOR HEP/144W 1/705 L7] PATENIEUJmsmn 3,557,932 SHEET 2BF 2 INVENTOR HzfEMAA/ 6405 Z CONTAINER UNSCRAMBLER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Inliner unscramblers presently in use are either anaccelerating belt unscrambler type or a rotary or turntable unscrambler.Both types can be used only for round bottles. There is a need for afast container unscrambler that can handle containers that are notround, and which has a simple mechanism, does not require cam-activatedpush bars and does not involve repeated stopping and starting of themechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, a container unscrambler includes a slanting surfaceupon which the bottles are placed when they are emptied out of theircarton. The bottles are separated by guide rails and are moved towards alower shelf. When the leading bottles drop down onto the lower shelf,they are moved laterally, until they reach a conveyor which transportsthem away in a single file.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The features of the present inventionwhich are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in theappended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization andmanner of operation, together with further objects and advantagesthereof, may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container unscrambler according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawings,FIGS. 1 and 2 show container unscrambler 11 having slanted table 13supporting empty plastic bottles 15 thereon. Bottles 15 are packagedupside down in cardboard carton 17, which is shown inverted, so thatbottles 15 land upon table 13 in an upright position when they areemptied out of carton 17. The guide rails 19 are spaced so as toaccommodate the width of the particular bottles being used, andfacilitate knocking the bottles out of the carton, in addition toaligning the bottles. The slanting of the table is important because itprevents the bottles from falling backwards when they are dumped out ofthe carton.

The conveyor belts 21 move the bottles along in the direction of thearrow 23, until the forward motion of each bottle is stopped by thebottle in front of it. If preferred, a single conveyor belt could beused, provided it' were wide enough. For the purposes of example only,three rows of bottles with two conveyor belts therefor are shown.

FIG. 3 shows how the three leading bottles 31, 33 and 35 rest upon lowerplatform or shelf 37. Shelf 37 and conveyor belts 21 are slanted ortilted in the same direction. Conveyor belts 21 move the bottles forwarduntil the three leading bottles encounter knock-down plate 41, whichforces the three leading bottles down to the lower shelf 37. The furtherforward motion of bottles 31, 33 and 35 is arrested by knockdown plate41 and railing 43.

Upper roller chain 51 is supported between sprockets 53 and 55. andcarries extended fingers 57 spaced therealong. Lower roller chain 61similarly carries an extended finger 63 corresponding to each finger 57and positioned therebelow.

-As roller chains 51 and 61 are moved in the direction shown byarrows65, fingers 57 and 63 are carried therealong until a pair of fingersencounter the three leading bottles 31, 33 and 35, which are restingupon lowe'r shelf .37. The pair of'fingers 57 and 63 push the threeleading bottles 31. 33 and 35 along chute 67 towards conveyor belt 69.

Chute 67 bends away from roller chains 51 and 61 at an angle so that asthe bottles reach conveyor belt 69 and are deposited thereon, they areclear of fingers 57 and 63. The The bottles are then carried away byconveyor belt 69 in single file. In the meantime, conveyor belts 21 willhave dropped down onto lower shelf 37, ready to be pushed away laterallyalong chute 67 by the next pair of extended fingers 57 and 63,

FIG. 4 shows a bottle cleaning attachment that has been found' usefulwhen used with the described unscrambler. As the bottles are movedforward along table 13, they pass under nozzles 71, which are supportedby rack 73. Ionized air is blown into the bottle through spout 75, andsuction is applied through sleeve 77, which is connected to a vacuumsource through tube 79.

The ionized air removes the charges present on the inside of the bottle15, on plastic chips which result from reaming operations duringmanufacture of the bottles, and on other dirt. The suction removes theseas they are blown out.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects.

Iclaim:

1. A container unscrambler for aligning a plurality of noncylindricalplastic containers in a single file, comprising:

a. conveyor means adapted for receiving a plurality of noncylindricalplastic containers thereon;

b. supporting platform means located lower than the position of saidcontainers when said containers are supported by said conveyor means,said conveyor means including a continuously moving endless belt tiltedin a downward direction towards said platform means sufficiently tocause containers placed upon said endless belt to lean towards saidplatform means without sliding, said endless belt transporting saidcontainers in a forward direction towards said platform means;

c. guide rails for separating said containers which are placed upon saidendless belt into a plurality of rows, said guide rails being positionedparallel to the direction of travel of said containers upon said endlessbelt;

d. means for forcing the leading container in each row to move down tosaid platform means; continuously moving endless support means includinga plurality of extended engaging means connected thereto in a spacedrelationship such that when any given extended engaging means encountersthe most proximate container thereto which is supported on said platformmeans, it simultaneously pushes all of said containers on said platformmeans in single file in a direction perpendicular to the direction oftravel of said containers upon said endless belt, and the next leadingcontainer in each row being forced down into position upon said platformmeans before the next extended engaging means arrives, the arrival ofsaid next engaging means being timed so that it encounters the mostproximate container thereto which is supported on said platform meansand simultaneously pushes all of the containers then on said platformmeans in single file behind the containers which were pushed in singlefile by the preceding engaging means; chute means along which saidcontainers in a single file are pushed without interruption bysuccessive ones of said extended means, said chute means being bent atan angle such that said containers in single file are moved away fromthe path taken by said extended means and each said extended meanssequentially loses contact with the containers it is pushing; and secondconveyor means, said containers being deposited in single file upon saidsecond conveyor means as they exit from said chute means. 2. Apparatusas defined in claim 1 in which said supporting belt is tilted.

extended means includes a pair of fingers, one finger of each pair beingattached to a respective one of said pair of chains.

1. A container unscrambler for aligning a plurality of noncylindricalplastic containers in a single file, comprising: a. conveyor meansadapted for receiving a plurality of noncylindrical plastic containersthereon; b. supporting platform means located lower than the position ofsaid containers when said containers are supported by said conveyormeans, said conveyor means including a continuously moving endless belttilted in a downward direction towards said platform means sufficientlyto cause containers placed upon said endless belt to lean towards saidplatform means without sliding, said endless belt transporting saidcontainers in a forward direction towards said platform means; c. guiderails for separating said containers which are placed upon said endlessbelt into a plurality of rows, said guide rails being positionedparallel to the direction of travel of said containers upon said endlessbelt; d. means for forcing the leading container in each row to movedown to said platform means; e. continuously moving endless supportmeans including a plurality of extended engaging means connected theretoin a spaced relationship such that when any given extended engagingmeans encounters the most proximate container thereto which is supportedon said platform means, it simultaneously pushes all of said containerson said platform means in single file in a direction perpendicular tothe direction of travel of said containers upon said endless belt, andthe next leading container in each row being forced down into positionupon said platform means before the next extended engaging meansarrives, the arrival of said next engaging means being timed so that itencounters the most proximate container thereto which is supported onsaid platform means and simultaneously pushes all of the containers thenon said platform means in single file behind the containers which werepushed in single file by the preceding engaging means; f. chute meansalong which said containers in a single file are pushed withoutinterruption by successive ones of said extended means, said chute meansbeing bent at an angle such that said containers in single file aremoved away from the path taken by said extended means and each saiDextended means sequentially loses contact with the containers it ispushing; and g. second conveyor means, said containers being depositedin single file upon said second conveyor means as they exit from saidchute means.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said supportingplatform means is tilted in the same direction as said endless belt istilted.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said continuouslymoving endless support means includes a pair of vertically disposedendless roller chains and in which each of said extended means includesa pair of fingers, one finger of each pair being attached to arespective one of said pair of chains.